Wasted by Carrie Underwood - Poem Analysis

"Wasted"

Carrie Underwood

The famous song "Wasted" by Carrie Underwood discusses the pain and troubles of staying in a relationship with an alcoholic. There are two main parts to this song. One is that the woman in the relationship feels as if she is "wasting" her life by remaining with this man who is not fully devoted to their relationship. Also, this song is about a man who is literally living his life "wasted" away from alcohol. He is dealing with alcoholism and it seems to be consuming his entire life leaving no room for a woman.

In many ways this can be viewed as a break up song. The woman is struggling to let her boyfriend/ husband go, but realizes that she is wasting her time, life, and love. The first lines of the song are:

Standing at the back door

She tried to make it fast

One tear hit the hardwood

It fell like broken glass

Even from the very beginning it becomes evident that the speaker is trying to leave, but it is very hard for her to forget about the past and move on. The line "It fell like broken glass" emphasizes her pain and how her life is breaking to pieces. The tone of this song in the beginning is very depressing and monotone. The majority of the notes are low and slow, reflecting her anguish and disheartening life. The next lines "She said sometimes love slips away/ And you just can't get it back" simply shows how over time this relationship has fallen apart, most likely due to her man's drinking habits. As much as she would love to stay with him, she knows that her life and his would be much better without his presence. She continues to hold on to the past, still feeling the sadness and grief of dealing with her alcoholic partner.

For one split second

She almost turned around

But that would be like pouring rain drops

Back into a cloud

So she took another step and said

I see the way out and I'm gonna' take it

This second stanza really displays the torn decision that the women is contemplating. The love she has for this man is so strong, and that is evident in her attempts to turn around and stay with him. She has stayed this long hoping he will change his addictive habits, but the hope of him changing seems very improbable. She realizes that if she stays, her depressing and agonizing feelings will continue to consume her life. For the entire first two stanzas, the tone remains somewhat confused and continues to keep that constant saddening tenor. The tone of this song is very important because it perfectly displays the woman's depressed mindset. Her choice to leave and "see the way out" shows her willingness to start a fresh life and confidence in herself to know that she deserves better. She cannot stand to see their love and his life slip away, and she does not want to waste any more time on a hopeless cause and on a life without love.

I don't wanna' spend my life jaded

Waiting to wake up one day and find

That I've let all these years go by

Wasted

This is the refrain where there is finally a little more confidence in the tone of the song. This change in tone could reflect her realization that she can find better and that she needs to not waste the years ahead. This refrain of "Wasted" further shows how the woman does not want to live with this burden (her boyfriend/ husband) anymore. She is tired of having to live with a man who is not committed to her and has finally come to the understanding that she is "wasting" her life with him.

Another glass of whisky but it still don't kill the pain

So he stumbles to the sink and pours it down the drain

He says it's time to be a man and stop living for yesterday

Gotta face it.

In the fourth stanza, the